Project description

Located within the ski-in, ski-out Niseko Kyo Hotel in Hirafu, Masonry Niseko marks the restaurant’s first expansion into Japan and a new chapter for the brand’s globally rooted yet materially grounded identity. Designed as a 60-seat dining room with extended bar seating, the space supports Masonry’s signature balance of refined yet approachable dining, anchored by an open kitchen and an informal, social atmosphere.

We envisioned the interior as a warm alpine retreat, blending contemporary mountain sensibilities with Japanese craft while subtly referencing Masonry’s origins in Bali. The design approach prioritises tactility — spaces that feel shaped by hand rather than finished by system — where materials are allowed to age, patinate, and soften with use.

A restrained palette of wood, stone, and steel establishes a grounded, elemental atmosphere. Layered textures, crafted joinery, and soft architectural transitions create intimacy across the dining room, bar, and kitchen threshold, while maintaining visual connection throughout the space. Clean lines and controlled detailing allow material expression to remain the dominant spatial narrative.

The result is a space that feels quietly social, tactile, and welcoming — an interior that supports the rhythms of dining, conversation, and seasonal transition, while grounding Masonry’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine within its new northern landscape.